Hydrogen has long been touted as the future of clean energy. Asia is now attempting to make it a present-day reality.
Vivek Lohia, managing director at Jupiter Wagons, calls the hydrogen train a "technology demonstration" that could serve some niche routes in the hilly parts of the country.
A full shift to hydrogen, he says, is still over two decades away.
The groundwork dates back to 2023, when Indian Railways announced plans for 35 hydrogen trains for heritage and hill routes under a program called "Hydrogen for Heritage."
That same month, India also initiated 12 pilot projects featuring 70 hydrogen-powered vehicles:
All of this falls under India's National Green Hydrogen Mission, designed to reduce fossil-fuel dependence and position the country as a global hub for green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy.
According to the Asian Development Bank, green hydrogen and green ammonia capacity in India could attract roughly $34 billion in investment by 2030.
Japan and South Korea have their own initiatives. East Japan Railway plans to launch a hydrogen-hybrid train called HYBARI by the end of fiscal 2027.
South Korea's Daejeon city intends to introduce 34 hydrogen-powered trams by 2028.
The country is also dedicating 32.1 billion won through 2027 to a hydrogen train demonstration project.
Seoul's government anticipates the global hydrogen train market will expand at over 25% annually.
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China is also involved, with CRRC Changchun unveiling the nation's first hydrogen-powered tourism train last year, according to Ravi Krishnaswamy of Frost & Sullivan.
Why trains? Governments view them as a mechanism to generate demand while constructing a broader hydrogen infrastructure.
Rail offers hydrogen a reliable and visible demand source, which lessens the uncertainty of investing in hydrogen production, storage, and refueling infrastructure, Krishnaswamy says.
Krishnaswamy is also clear about what rail cannot accomplish.
He describes hydrogen trains as a niche solution for reducing emissions and establishing dependable demand, rather than a substitute for electric rail corridors.
The more measured perspective from analysts is cautious.
Rajeev Pandey, a senior analyst focusing on hydrogen at Rystad Energy, says hydrogen can clearly cut emissions in industries where they are hardest to eliminate.
He characterizes the long-term potential as "real but narrower than the hype."
He identifies South Korea and India as the most likely markets for meaningful hydrogen train adoption over the next decade, with Japan potentially seeing a more limited rollout.
"There is no doubt on the fundamental ability of hydrogen to decarbonize hard-to-abate industries," Pandey told CNBC. The question is how long that takes.
There is also a strategic dimension, as India, Japan, South Korea, and China all rely heavily on foreign energy sources.
Hydrogen offers storage and trade potential, and both India and China can produce it domestically, Pandey notes.
Fuel cells, which convert hydrogen into electricity, represent one clean-energy sector where Japan and South Korea maintain a competitive advantage over China's dominance in solar and batteries, Pandey says.
For investors, the timeline matters more than the hype. The trains are real, but the commercial payoff is probably a long way off.
The larger opportunity may not lie in the trains themselves.
Rail could serve as a crucial demand source in India and China, alongside steel and shipping, to help establish a cost-competitive green hydrogen market, Krishnaswamy says.
The primary challenge for hydrogen is execution, and execution depends on government policy, subsidies, and incentives. For most investors, that is where the risk sits.
The countries that build the hydrogen economy will be the ones that treat rail as a starting point, not a finish line.
The strategic rationale extends beyond emissions reduction. For energy-importing nations across Asia, developing domestic hydrogen production capacity represents an opportunity to enhance energy security while fostering new industrial capabilities. The countries that successfully integrate rail demand into broader hydrogen strategies may gain significant advantages in the emerging clean-energy economy.
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